Kidnapped
by MasterThief94
Summary: When Neal is kidnapped, Peter must find out who kidnapped his partner and why...and then he must get Neal out safely before it is too late to save the ex-con... -Neal whumpage, and NO SLASH, though there is that brotherly and father/son affection-
1. Snatched

**Okay, so I had to transfer all my old stories from my former account, XxFallenStorms, onto this one, because for some reason, my old account wouldn't log me in, so here is my new account, and all my old stories as well as some new ones that I am working on. Anyway, here's _Kidnapped_. Would love to hear from you, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

_**Kidnapped**_

_**Chapter 1**_

**Neal-**

Neal Caffrey turned to wave goodbye to Elizabeth Burke. He had been over at the Burke's place to visit Peter, only to find that Peter had gone to the office on some important call he had received from Jones, and so he had chitchatted with Elizabeth for a few moments before he decided he should go talk to Peter at the office. He flashed her a smile as he twirled his favorite fedora onto his head the moment a black van came screeching to a halt in behind him. He glanced behind him in shock, seeing to men jump out of the side door of the car and rush towards him.

"Elizabeth! Run!" He yelled as the men grabbed him by the arms, pinning them firmly to the side and started to drag him backwards. Neal twisted, trying to free himself, knocking his hat off his head in the process. One of the men, a tall guy with dark brown eyes, the same color as his hair, spat something and let go of the ex-con for a second, slugging the young man in the gut before he proceeded to drag a now-gasping Neal Caffrey backwards.

The next thing Caffrey knew, he was thrown into the van, his blue eyes flashing with anger as he saw one of the men turn towards a shocked Elizabeth, who hadn't run. Hadn't hid. Just stood there, eyes wide in shock. The man, this one had light blond hair and blue eyes, started towards Peter Burke's wife, his face wide with a smile. That seriously irritated Neal, and the ex-con darted forward, letting out a yell of rage, as he leaped out of the van before anyone could stop him, and crashed into the blond haired man. They both hit the ground with a loud _thud_. Neal started to roll away from the man, trying to get to Elizabeth, but was grabbed from behind, and jerked to his feet. He glanced towards where Elizabeth had been standing, relieved to see the door was closed, probably locked. Or at least, he hoped it was locked.

Again, he felt pain strike him as he was punched in the stomach, by the blond haired man. He hadn't noticed that the guy had risen to his feet, but he was there, and Neal was dry heaving from the blow. After that moment of dry heaving had passed, Caffrey looked up into the most merciless pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. He saw a fist coming towards his face, felt a brief moment of pain as it struck, before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he slumped against the man holding him there, unconscious. He was then dragged to the black van and thrown in, the two men climbing in after him, before the van took off, the smell of burnt rubber filling the air in its haste to leave.

**Elizabeth-**

Elizabeth had been smiling widely when Neal had turned around to wave goodbye. She let out a small laugh as Neal flipped his hat onto his head, and then felt an icy fear seize her as the black van came to a sudden stop behind Neal. He saw surprise on the young man's features as he glanced behind him to see two men, one blond haired, the other having dark brown hair, rush towards him.

"Elizabeth! Run!" She heard Neal scream as the men grabbed him. She couldn't run. She wanted to, but she couldn't. She was frozen in shock and fear. She couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as Neal struggled to get away from the two men, and receive a punch in the stomach for it. Elizabeth's mouth opened slightly in horror as the scene unfolded before her very eyes.

Neal being thrown in the van. The blond haired man turning towards Elizabeth, his eyes shining with dark intentions. Hearing Neal let out a yell of anger before seeing the young man fly out of the van, closely followed by the dark haired man. Neal knocking the blond man to the ground before the dark haired man yanked the ex-con off the other man.

Elizabeth slammed the door shut, breaking free of the unnatural stillness that had set over her. She rushed to the phone, dialing her husband's number before she rushed to the window in time to see Neal half bent over, dry heaving.

_Pick up Peter! Damn it Peter, pick up! _She thought, watching in horror as the blond haired man struck Neal in the face. She watched her friend go limp, unconscious.

_"El?"_ A voice sounded on the other line, Peter, but Elizabeth was having a hard time finding her voice. _"El? El? El, what's wrong?"_ Peter sounded so worried. Finally, after Neal was thrown into the van, the other two men climbing in after him, and the van taking off, Elizabeth found her voice.

She let out a soft sob. "Peter...Neal's been kidnapped."

Silence was on the other end. Total and utter silence for a few long seconds. And then, Peter spoke. _"What? How? Who? Did you get a license plate?" _Elizabeth felt tears streaming down her cheeks as a flood of questions from Peter engulfed her.

"There were two men that I saw, one blond, the other brunette. Neal was leaving here, he wanted to talk to you. Said it was important. I told him you were at the office, and he decided to go there to talk to you, not wait for you to come home. He was right outside the house Peter. A black van pulled up and dragged Neal into it before the blond man turned to me. He was coming." Elizabeth sounded oddly calm for being so scared.

_"Did he hurt you?" _Peter sounded furious, but he also sounded worried.

"No...Neal rushed out of the van and tackled him. The brown haired man was right being him, and he grabbed Neal. I got the phone and called you, and rushed back to the window, but I guess one of them hit Neal, because he was dry heaving. Then the blond haired man hit Neal in the face and knocked him unconscious, and they left with him..." Elizabeth's voice broke at the last sentence.

_"Hang on honey...I'll be right there...Hold on..."_ Peter said. Elizabeth nodded, as if her husband could see her, and then hung up the phone, waiting.

**Peter-**

Peter Burke stared out the windshield of the Taurus, his mind blank with shock.

_Neal's been kidnapped... _The words bounced around in his skull as he parked to car in front of his house. He got up and rushed to the door, dimly realizing that there were a few spots of blood on the ground. _Neal's been kidnapped..._

Peter burst into his house, his brown eyes wide as he looked around, trying to locate Elizabeth. He finally spotted her, huddled up near the window, looking blankly ahead. He rushed over to her, touching her face lightly as he knelt down beside her.

"Are you ok?" His eyes shined with worry as he gazed at his wife. She nodded.

"They took him Peter...they took Neal..." Elizabeth's voice was soft, which frightened Peter.

"I know...we'll get him back..." Peter whispered, hugging Elizabeth tightly. Then a thought struck him. Neal had wanted to talk to him. He had told Elizabeth it was important. "Did Neal every mention what he wanted to talk about?" He asked his wife gently.

"No. He just said he needed to see you right away. That it was very important." Elizabeth replied, and dismay coursed through Peter. Something important. That could be anything!

"We'll find him...we'll find him..." Peter murmured soothingly, looking up when his cell phone rang. He looked at it for a moment before he accepted the call.

"Burke."

_"I'd listen carefully to what I have to say if I were you, Mr. Burke."_


	2. Memories

_**Chapter 2**_

**Peter-**

Peter's brown eyes narrowed in fury as he heard the voice. "I'm waiting." He growled.

_"Ah ah ah...now we wouldn't want Mr. Caffrey to get hurt worse than he already is, would we?"_ The voice said darkly. Peter stiffened him.

"I swear to god, if you hurt him, I'll..." Peter's voice was a fierce growl.

_"You and God will do what, Peter? Or do you prefer Agent Burke?" _The voice retorted, sounding smug.

"Who is this?" Peter demanded.

_"You should know. You killed my partner. Remember Blake Johnson?"_

Peter's eyes widened as memory flooded over him. Blake Johnson, one of the most famed white collar criminals in the world. He was about as good as Neal, if not better. For weeks, Neal and Peter had been tracking him and his partner, Andrew Williams, another of the best white collar criminals. Finally, Neal had discovered their pattern, and instantly reported to Peter. Peter remembered that day clearly.

_Neal was bending over the conference table, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration as Peter watched his friend work, half fascinated, half annoyed. Nobody should be able to track a criminal's movements like Neal Caffrey could. No man that obeyed the law anyway, but that was the catch. Caffrey hadn't always obeyed the law, and he had become one of the best white collar criminals until Peter had caught him. Twice. Then Neal had become an FBI Consultant, and later, Peter's closest friend._

_"Getting close?" Peter asked._

_"SHHHH!" Neal replied, tapping the paper lightly, waving his other hand as if he could wave Peter's words away. The FBI frowned at his friend. This was the sixteenth time Caffrey had told him to 'shh'. It was starting to get annoying, and Peter opened his mouth to say something when Neal bolted upwards, blue eyes shining in triumph. "Got it!" He crowed. Peter rushed over, understanding Neal's triumphant feeling. Not only was this case a huge deal, but Neal was helping in bring his own. People of his own skill in forgeries, among other things, and people who were just as good as Caffrey._

_"Show me." Peter had ordered. Neal had pointed out everything to him. What they liked to get their hands on, and how it had all centered around one point, if you followed the dots closely enough. Peter had been amazed. "Nice work Caffrey." He had said with a grin, clapping his friend on the shoulder. Neal had beamed, grinning. "Let's go get them..." Peter had said, leading the way out of the conference room._

Peter blinked, before another memory crashed into him.

_"DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Peter had yelled at Blake Johnson, who was pointing a 9mm handgun directly at a surprised Neal Caffrey, a person who hadn't supposed to have even been in the room yet. Peter had glared at Blake, though he was not entirely unaware of what Andrew was doing either. He glared because his friend was threatened, and he glared because they had walked right into a trap._

_Peter had ordered Caffrey to stay right behind him, but when a scream from a girl had sounded, Neal had rushed forward, faster than Peter thought imaginable, onlt to come face to face with Jason Blake and Andrew Williams. There was no girl in sight, just a recorder, which let out the high pitched scream that they had heard. Peter had watched from the shadows, frozen by fear for his friend._

_Neal had his hands up to show he held no weapon, and he fixed Blake with a glare._

_"How did you know I was here?" He asked smoothly. Peter shook his head in disbelief. He highly doubted that his friend's talk could get him out of this one._

_"Just because you didn't know that idiot Burke was after you before you were caught doesn't mean we don't know when someone is after us, Caffrey." Blake had snapped. Andrew had simply glared at Neal._

_Neal had let out a small laugh. "Burke? I knew he was after me. The guy is just really good at what he does."_

_"He must be, to turn you traitor." Andrew had sneered. Neal had simply shrugged._

_"Me? Traitor? I would never! I'm just doing my civil duty by putting dirtbags like you behind bars." Neal had retorted after a second, smirking until Blake had raised the handgun._

_"You forget you used to be one of those so-called dirtbags." He snarled._

_"People change, Blake. Obviously, your brain is too small to comprehend that fact." Neal had replied, though his blue eyes had shown worry in them. He knew all too well what danger he was in, and Peter knew he knew._

_And that was how they had ended up in the position they were in now. A furious Blake Johnson and Andrew Williams. Andrew had suddenly lunged forward, and a half-startled Peter had pulled the trigger. The next thing he knew, Neal was on the ground, wrestling with a screaming Andrew, and Blake was on the ground as well._

_Andrew had been arrested that day, though his partner never would be. Blake Johnson had died the instant the bullet fired from Peter's weapon had struck him._

Peter glared at the wall. He hadn't meant to kill Blake. He really hadn't. "What do you want Andrew?" He asked coldly.

_"Good boy, you remembered. No wonder you were so quiet. As for what I want? I want you to suffer the same way I did that day. The day you killed Blake."_

"I didn't meant to ki-" Peter was interrupted by Andrew's furious voice.

_"THE HELL YOU DIDN'T! YOU SHOT HIM! AND NOW YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!" _Andrew paused, and there was a sound of something hitting something else, and an audible groan. _"Isn't that right Mr. Caffrey?"_

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!" Yelled a furious, and very worried Peter.

_"If I were you, I'd be expecting to see a little...gift...from me real soon." _The line disconnected, Peter staring in horror.

**Neal-**

Neal Caffrey glared at Andrew Williams, his blue eyes so filled with hate that it was shocking considering he wasn't usually violent. He was tied to a side of a wall, both hands in tight chains, and an ankle was also chained to the wall. The sight was almost medieval.

"He'll find you!" He snapped, unable to hide his anger from the man he had tracked for weeks, and then wrestled the day Williams had been arrested, in order to protect Peter. "He found me, he'll find you!"

"No, I don't think he will. You don't have your tracker on you. I took the liberty of taking that off you when you were still unconscious." Andrew replied, glaring at Neal with dark brown eyes. Neal glared back, matching dark look for dark look. This was the man who had ordered the brown haired man, and the blond haired man, whose names Neal had managed to hear, Jared and Ryan, to kidnap him and to hurt Elizabeth. All in order to hurt Peter for revenge.

"You are so pathetic! Blake wouldn't even want to be here with you right now! In fact, he'd be glad he died!" Neal snarled. Where all his anger was coming from, he had no idea. All he knew was Andrew letting out a howl of rage and pain striking him as he was hit in the stomach, the chest, the face. Neal fell to his knees, gasping for air as Andrew proceeded to beat him, striking Neal in the ribs over and over again until Neal heard a crack, and collapsed to one side, agony ripping through him like a wildfire ripped through a dry grassland.

He let out a cry on pain as Andrew kicked him in the stomach, before the evil man walked out of the room, muttering to himself inaudibly. _Peter...please hurry... _Neal thought, groaning in pain as he tried to get to his feet. After a few moments, he just managed to sit up, and left it at that. It hurt far too much to try to stand right now, so the ex-con leaned back against the wall. He studied the chains, trying to figure out how he was going to pick it when he had the worst headache of the century. Finally, he gave up, his head throbbing. He tasted blood in his mouth, and found it interesting how he hadn't noticed it before that moment. He spat out a mouthful of the almost salty tang of his own blood, and wiped his mouth. He felt...strange. As if he couldn't really do anything.

_I think they drugged you when you were unconscious..._ He thought to himself, wincing. Ow...even thinking _hurt_, but Neal forced himself to continue to think. Questions filled his mind. He knew Andrew Williams wanted revenge on Blake Johnson's death. Hell, Neal would want revenge if Peter died too, but revenge wasn't always the answer, and Peter seemed to love to tell Neal that.

Neal sighed, missing his best friend already. He hadn't been able to tell Peter what he had wanted to, no, Andrew had seen to that factor! Neal stopped thinking for a long moment, his blue eyes closing as he tried to subdue the aching pain that ran throughout him.

Then, a single question filled his mind, and as soon as the thought entered his mind, the pain stopped. Like a faucet had turned off, not a single drop leaking through. No pain. None.

_Would you give up everything?_

For that, Neal had no answer. Not yet.


	3. Trouble

_**Chapter 3**_

**Neal-**

Neal Caffrey, ex-con and now a FBI Consultant, woke up to the sound of someone talking excitedly. It was the next morning, he could tell from how bright the room was. He blinked, confused as to why he was on hard ground and not in his bed. A door flew open, and the moment Neal saw Andrew Williams, it all came back to him. He had been kidnapped when he had been leaving the Burke's place, about to go tell Peter something important. Andrew had called Peter, and Peter and Williams had had some discussion that involved Blake Johnson's death. After that, Neal had annoyed Andrew, and had paid for that discussion with a beating.

_I've had worse... _Neal reminded himself grimly, hauling himself to his feet as Andrew got closer. His head spun, and Neal gave his head a small shake, trying to clear himself of the dizziness, his hair falling in his eyes as he did so. He didn't care though, he just fixed Andrew and fierce glare as the con man came closer. Closer. Closer. Closer still.

"What do you want?" The words burst from Neal's mouth before he could stop himself. He found it surprising that he sounded furious.

"Now now, Caffrey. Is that any way to greet your gracious host?" Andrew Williams said with a smile.

"When it comes down to you, yes." Neal replied, glaring, his blue eyes filled with hate. Andrew just shook his head, and pulled out a syringe, filled with a strange yellow-green liquid that looked as if it were pulsing. Neal swallowed, feeling sick as he stared at it. He turned his head away, so he wouldn't have to look at it, so he missed the two men, who had kidnapped him, enter the room. He just heard Andrew speak.

"Hold him." The next thing the young man knew, he was slammed against the hard wall, his head colliding with the wall roughly. He struggled automatically, but it was no use. He was pinned, with no escape route. "Now, Caffrey, this is only going to hurt a lot." Andrew said, snickering slightly. Neal spat at him, still struggling to get free. Andrew glared at the ex-con, wiping his face before he advanced on Neal. A few seconds later, Neal felt a searing pain in his arm. It spread throughout his entire body as Williams slowly injected whatever the yellow-green liquid was, into Neal's system. Neal's jaws snapped together and his eyes closed tightly as he fought to keep back the scream that was building up inside of him. It didn't work. The scream still escaped him, loud and filled with terrible agony. He was released by the two men that held him, and he dropped to the ground instantly, barely opening his eyes to see Andrew bending down to look at him. He watched as the con man's lips twitched into a wide grin.

"That took effect quicker than I expected. Let's hope your FBI buddies are enjoying watching this." Neal blinked in confusion at Andrew's words. Andrew smirked, and pointed over into the opposite corner, where Neal could barely make out a camera set up on a small tripod. "It's live, so I really hope they are enjoying this, I know I am. A shame that I have to do this to my own, oh wait, strike that, you're FBI now, you aren't one of us anymore." Andrew said, before he got to his feet and walked out, leaving the syringe laying on the ground, totally empty. The two other men walked out after Williams, slamming the door behind them.

With a groan, his face tight with pain, Neal managed to sit up and grab the syringe. _Got...to...get...out... _He thought, breaking the needle of the syringe. He flashed a weak smile towards the camera before he stuck the needle inside the lock that held his ankle. He twisted the needle several times, until the lock sprang open and blood rushed to the spot. He winced, it hurt. He did the same thing with the locks holding his wrists, but by the time he was done, he was shaking hard and covered in a sheet of sweat. He blue gaze was drawn to the camera, which was still streaming live. Peter... He thought, beginning to crawl forward, his head pounding, blood roaring in his ears. _Got...to...camera...Peter... _He couldn't even think straight! Everything was jumbled, but Neal carried on, each movement causing a terrible flash of pain rushing through him.

By the time he reached the camera, his breath was labored. His face was pale as a sheet, and his teeth were locked together from taking in all the pain. Slowly, he reached up towards the camera, his entire framed quivering as he gripped it, took it off the tripod and brought it down to his level.

"Peter..." He said with a groan, gripping the side of the wall with one hand as he struggled to his feet, barely managing to stand, let alone walk. "Peter." He said, clutching the camera, he brought it in front of his face, pointing the lens away from his face. "Look..." Neal took shaking steps forward, feeling horrible. He managed to get over to where he had been chained up. He saw a small window above the exact place where he had been chained, though it was really high up. _Got to get camera up there...Peter needs to see..._He thought, flinching as he reached upwards, stretching as high as he could go. The camera hit something, causing Neal to look upwards. Yes! He had gotten the camera up to the window!

However, that was the exact moment his strength gave out. After dealing with the terrible agony of feeling like someone was burning him alive, just so he could let Peter and everyone at the FBI know, hopefully, where Neal was, the ex-con's strength gave out and he collapsed, the camera hitting the ground hard, just seconds after Neal's head struck cement. The camera skidded away from Caffrey, its lens pointing straight at him, but the young man didn't care. He wanted an escape from the burning agony. And escape came rushing towards him in a black tidal wave. He closed his eyes.

**Peter-**

Peter Burke had been in his office, worrying about Neal, when he had heard about the package coming in. Jones had rushed up and walked right it without knocking, which annoyed Peter to no end.

"Jones you should really-" Peter glared at Jones as he interrupted.

"Sorry sir, but we got this package. It is a receiving end of a camera fee. We just set it up in the conference room, and it just came on." Jones said quickly. Peter leaped to his feet.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" He asked with a glare as both men rushed out of the office and into the conference room.

"Didn't know what it would be showing." Came the reply, which caused Peter to glare.

"Still should have said something." He replied. Jones nodded.

"I'll remember that next time."

Peter nodded his agreement, focusing on the screen. His brown eyes widened as he recognized a bloody, and unconscious Neal Caffrey in the far corner of the room. The young man didn't look so good, his face being covered in dry blood and all. The FBI Agent watched through narrowed eyes as Neal's eyes fluttered open, and Andrew Williams walked through a door that was apparently a few feet away from where the camera was set up. He saw Neal glare darkly at Andrew, and felt a slash of surprise to see the level of hate and anger directed to the con man. He heard Neal growl something at Andrew, and he heard the louder reply of Williams as he spoke.

_"Now now, Caffrey. Is that any way to greet your gracious host?" _Andrew's voice was mocking, and Peter felt waves of hatred rolling inside him, directed at the con man who held his friend. He heard Neal reply, but he only caught part of the sentence.

_"When...comes...you...yes."_

Peter could do nothing but stare in horror as Andrew pulled out a syringe, that held a weird yellow-green liquid inside it. He watched as Neal turned his head away just in time for two men, a dark brown haired one, and a blond haired one, to walk through the door. _Oh god, Neal!_

_"Hold him." _Andrew Williams voice sounded dark, and within heartbeats, Caffrey had been slammed up against the wall by the two men who had just walked in. Peter noticed that the ex-con was in chains, and he felt anger flash through him. _They had Neal chained!_

_"Now, Caffrey, this is only going to hurt a lot."_ Andrew snickered, stepping forward. Peter was gripping a chair tightly, his knuckles turning white as he watched, horrified as Neal still struggled until Andrew shoved the needle into the FBI Consultant's arm, and began injecting the weirdly colored liquid into Neal. He saw Neal stiffen, pain flashing across the young man's face as he struggled to hold in a scream. He couldn't hold it in though...it burst through his mouth like water through a weakened dam. Peter saw Neal collapse the moment the two men released him, and he watched as Andrew bent down towards the fallen ex-con. He knew Andrew had said something, he could see the con man's lips moving, but he couldn't hear anything because of the blood roaring in his ears.

He. Was. Pissed.

And worried.

He watched Andrew point at the camera, and he forced his temper back, he needed to hear this.

_"...really hope they are enjoying this, I know I am. A shame that I have to do this to my own, oh wait, strike that, you're FBI now, you aren't one of us anymore."_ Andrew said to a pained looking Neal Caffrey before he stood up and walked out, closely followed by the two other men, the door slamming behind them.

Neal didn't move for a long moment, but finally, the ex-con hauled himself into a sitting position, much to Peter's horror. _He should stay still! Save his strength! He should-oh god, what is he doing now? _But Peter knew what Neal was doing. He was picking the locks of the chains with the needle of the syringe, his face tight with pain, until all the chains were off him. Then he did one of the stupidest thing Peter had ever seen. Instead of saving his strength like he should have done, Neal was crawling towards the camera!

_Neal! No! Stay still! Stay. Quit moving!_ Peter thought, watching with both amazement at the young man's determination, and total fear for his friend. After several long moment, Peter could tell his friend was in immense agony, and he could hear that the ex-con's breathing was labored, but the camera shifted, and was brought down to a lower level.

_"Peter..."_ Neal's voice was soft, though pain was laced through it, and Peter stared in amazement as the camera heightened. Neal had stood up! _"Peter."_ The camera raised a little, but it was pointed away from Neal. _"Look..."_ Slowly, the opposite wall, and Peter dimly realized that his friend was walking, though the camera was shaking horribly, came closer, until Peter could tell Neal was right in front of it. Then, the camera rose even more, towards light. A window. He watched the wall creep by him slowly. A high window. Just then, he saw a flash of light in the camera, and it took a moment to adjust. A flash of a few trees and greenery was all Peter saw before he heard a _thud_ and the camera hit the floor, to reveal Neal, shaking and covered in sweat. Pale as a sheet.

Peter gave an involuntary gasp at the sight of his friend, but it didn't matter, because so did everyone else in the room. He watched as the blue eyes of Neal Caffrey closed, and then everything went black on the camera.

Peter turned to Jones, his brown eyes holding shock in them. He remembered when Neal had been drugged before. It had been the moment Neal had told Peter that he trusted him. The words came back to him easily.

_You're the only one._

_The only one what?_

_The only person in my life that I trust._

"Tell me we traced that." Peter said to a stunned looking Jones.


	4. Close calls

_**Chapter 4**_

**Peter-**

Peter stared at Jones. _Please say we managed to track that video... _He thought to himself, praying that it would be true. That they had managed to track the video. Jones regretfully shook his head. _No!_

"We were close, but just as we were about to get the fix, it went black, and we lost it." Jones said sadly, his eyes wide with horror. Peter wondered briefly if the agent kept seeing the video footage in his mind like he did. Neal had risked so much for them ever since he had become an FBI Consultant, and now they couldn't help him. Peter slumped against the closest wall, his eyes closed in misery.

He had failed Neal. He was the person Neal Caffrey trusted above all and he had failed the ex-con. He had failed his friend. Had failed his partner.

_QUIT YOUR SELF PITY! YOU CAN STILL SAVE HIM SO GET GOING!_ A voice screamed at him in his mind, causing Peter to jump, and open his eyes. He noticed everyone had left the conference room, without him noticing. His brown eyes narrowed. He hadn't failed Neal yet! He would only have failed Neal if Neal was dead, and by God, the ex-con wasn't dead yet!

Peter turned towards the screen, playing back the video to where the flash of greenery had appeared for a split second. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the screen, trying to figure out where Neal was, and after a few moments, Peter's eyes widened. He dashed out of the conference room, knowing where Neal was being held near.

Central Park.

A few blocks from it anyway.

The same place that Blake Johnson had died.

"JONES! DIANA!" Peter yelled, walking out, his brown eyes narrowed slightly.

_Hang on Neal...hang on..._

**Neal-**

Neal Caffrey woke to a startling sight. Andrew Williams looming over him, his face twisted in rage. He jerked away, moving quicker than he thought possible, though it came at a price. By the time he had scrambled into the corner, standing up, he was pale and shaky again, his forehead covered in a light sheet of sweat as he stared at Andrew. The con man snickered.

"How are we feeling?" Williams asked, sounding smug. Neal just glared at him with blazing blue eyes. Andrew chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I figured, so I brought more."

Neal recoiled at these words, his eyes flashing momentarily with fear, before they became flat and expressionless. Andrews just laughed, then lunged forward, a syringe gleaming in his hand, before he plunged it deep into the ex-con's arm, causing a muffled yell of pain to escape Neal's locked jaw. He felt the terrible flash of pain spreading throughout his limbs, and he jerked, his eyes wide as Andrew stepped away from him. Neal slid to the ground, as if his legs couldn't hold him for another second later. Andrew smirked, reaching down to feel Neal's pulse. It seemed as if it were going as fast as a hummingbird's wings. Something that was very dangerous for Neal Caffrey, and something that made Andrew Williams smirk until he heard Jared, one of his accomplices, speak.

"Sir? We need to go. The FBI showed up." Neal let out a shaky laugh. He knew Peter would find him.

**Andrew-**

Andrew cursed, shaking his head at the determination of Peter Burke and the rest of the FBI. He heard Neal let out a shaky laugh, and his brown eyes flickered to Neal's blue ones. His eyes narrowed menacingly, but he felt a twinge of amusement as he saw the levels of pain that was in the ex-con's eyes. He found it surprising to see worry in the young man's eyes though. Neal Caffrey was actually worried about the agent who had thrown him in jail twice! Remarkable!

"Sir? Are we leaving?" Jared asked nervously.

"No." Andrew's voice was cold. He continued to stare at Caffrey, and then he pulled out yet another syringe. Neal's eyes widened a fraction. "I was planning on using this later...but your buddies showed up, making now the perfect time." He said, laughing cruelly as he saw Neal try to move away, only to fall back with a groan. Andrew clamped his hand down onto Neal's wrist, feeling a twinge of satisfaction as he felt the temperature of Caffrey's skin, it was like the young man was on fire. He stuck the needle into the ex-con man's arm and slowly inject more of the yellow-green liquid, holding Caffrey tight as the young man's limbs jerked. He saw the young man's other hand fly forward, hitting Andrew across the face, but the blow lacked strength. Caffrey was losing his strength, and losing it quickly.

Andrew Williams got to his feet and pulled out a 9mm handgun, his brown eyes flashing with a fierce and sickening joy. Soon, part of his revenge would be complete. Then he heard a firm voice.

"Drop your weapon Andrew." Peter Burke's voice held the air of command, and it was dark with fury. Andrew's brown gaze flickered to the FBI Agent, whose own gaze kept flickering to Neal. Burke had his gun drawn and pointed directly at Peter, and Andrew raised his own gun to level it with the FBI Agent's.

"Do you need help Peter?" Andrew heard a voice, male, speak from the next room.

"No, I've got it Jones. Did you find the other two?" Peter replied.

"No, they've gone."

"Alright, well hurry and get the paramedics..." Peter replied, giving Andrew the darkest of all dark looks. "What did you do to him?" The FBI Agent's voice was a growl as he nodded to Neal.

"He'll last no longer than a few more minutes." Andrew Williams crowed, looking fiercely triumphant. "Partner for partner."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Peter snarled, his brown eyes flashing.

"Fascinating creatures, Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes. Their poison is quite deadly, especially if you concentrate it so it is pure poison, and well, if you overdose it...lights out comes quickly enough, after the victim suffers a great deal of agony." Andrew said with a smirk, watching Peter Burke pale noticeably. A loud bang caused Peter to turn his head, and Andrew felt his breath quicken, his grip tightened on the gun, and he pulled the trigger.

However, he had not realized the determination of Neal Caffrey. Had not been prepared for the amount of loyalty the young man had for Peter Burke. Had not noticed the young man creeping froward, and just a few seconds before Andrew pulled the trigger, Neal had found the strength to spring to his feet, right in front of the path of the bullet.

**Neal-**

Neal had been in terrible pain when Peter had burst into the room, gun drawn. A terrible feeling gripped his chest when he saw Andrew level his gun with Peter's. He began to haul himself forward, gritting his teeth against the pain that made his head swim and his vision blurry. He barely heard Andrew Williams tell Peter about Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake venom and whatnot, and at the moment, he didn't care that he'd been poisoned.

_Would you give up everything?_

Again, the question ran through his mind, and as the loud banging noise sounded, Neal had his answer. He knew what Williams would do, and he knew his answer to the question.

_Yes._

He sprang to his feet just as the gun in Williams hand went off. He froze, his blue eyes wide as he looked down at his stomach area, watching in morbid fascination as a red stain began to appear as he staggered backwards. He didn't see Peter whip his head around at the gun report. He didn't see his friend's brown eyes widen in shock and horror.

All he knew was the sensation of falling, and darkness sweeping him.

**Peter-**

At the report of the gun being fired, Peter whipped his head around, stunned that he felt no pain. He should. He had been shot hadn't he? Wrong. He saw Neal standing in front of Andrew, and he watched, stunned, as Neal staggered, and fell to the ground. Andrew Williams looked equally stunned. Peter's eyes flashed with anger and he pulled the trigger. He did not aim to kill. He aimed to hurt. And hurt a lot. He watched as Andrew staggered, blood blossoming from the con man's shoulder. He fired again, hitting the con man again, this time in the leg.

Andrew fell to the ground just as Jones and Diana burst into the room, guns drawn. Diana drew up short when she saw Neal and Andrew on the ground, both bleeding. Jones glanced at her, and rushed over to Andrew, his eyes filled with hate as he struck the con man a hard blow across the face.

"That's for Neal you sick bastard." Peter heard Jones snap as Andrew went limp, unconscious. Peter didn't care at the moment, he ran over to Neal, brown eyes lit with fear.

"Neal? Neal?" He yelled, his hand brushing the ex-con's forehead. Peter recoiled slightly. His friend's skin was burning hot!

"Diana? Where are those paramedics?"

"They aren't here yet, traffic held them up, they won't be here for another minute or so." Diana reported, next to Peter.

"Damn! That's not quick enough!" Peter growled, applying pressure to Neal's bullet wound. The young man whimpered from the pain, his blue eyes fluttering open.

"Peter...knew you'd find me..." Neal's voice was a faint whisper, and much to Peter's horror, Neal went totally limp, his chest not moving, just as the paramedics burst in.

"Neal? Neal! Wake up Neal!" Peter's voice was a howl as Diana pulled him backwards and the paramedics began CPR. It took a few, but long, agonizing minutes, but soon the paramedic reported that Neal was breathing again.

"We need to get him to the hospital...we are about to lose him again." One paramedic yelled, and they all hoisted Neal up onto a gurney, and rushed him to the ambulance, a worried Peter following them.


	5. Mistakes

_**Chapter 5**_

**Ryan-**

"This is a suicide mission Jared!" Said an accomplice of Andrew Williams as they watched from the shadows as Neal Caffrey was taken to an ambulance.

"Suicide mission or not, we have to do it." The other accomplice replied darkly.

"Fine, I'll try first, but if I fail..."

"If you fail, then I'll find a way to complete the job."

"Agreed."

**Peter-**

Peter sat in the waiting room, his mind blank as he waited for the news on his partner. Neal's condition had gone from bad to worse in the ambulance, and the paramedics had done the best they could, but they had lost Neal twice before they finally arrived in the hospital. Peter could do nothing to save his friend in this fight, however much he wished he could. All he could do was watch Neal's already pale face go paler, and the sweat that covered the ex-con's face get steadily worse.

He had to give the paramedics credit, they had given Neal anti-venom to fight against all the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake venom that coursed through the young man's veins, but it hadn't really taken effect. Neal still struggled for his life, and it was a struggle he had been losing when they had taken Neal away. Peter leaned his head into his hands, his eyes closed. Waiting for the news was like trying to figure out where Neal had been. It pure torture!

A light touch on his shoulder caused Peter to open his eyes and look upward, seeing Elizabeth's concerned face, and right behind her, Mozzie. Peter was surprised to see Neal's friend there, Mozzie hated hospitals.

"How is he, Suit?" Mozzie's voice was quiet, but demanding. No surprise there, Neal was Mozzie's friend. Elizabeth's gaze reflected Mozzie's concern, and Peter knew for a fact that Elizabeth, Mozzie, and he considered Neal family, even if Peter didn't want to admit it out loud.

"I'm not sure. There hasn't been any news on his condition." Peter said regretfully, wishing that any second, a doctor would come through the doors and say that Neal would be ok. None came. Mozzie nodded slightly and started pacing slightly, every so often, he threw a nervous glance around him. Elizabeth sat down next to her husband and rubbed his back lightly.

"He'll be ok Peter. He's strong...he's going to make it..." Elizabeth murmured, her eyes showing concern. Peter said nothing as he watched Mozzie pace. He felt as if Neal's being here was all his fault. If only he hadn't accidentally killed Blake Johnson all those years ago...

That's when the doctor walked in.

Peter's head flew upwards in time to see the door close behind the doctor. The guy looked tired, but Peter got to his feet as the doctor spoke.

"Mr. Caffrey?" Peter noticed that the doctor sounded weary, but he couldn't help but not really care. He was too worried about Neal.

"Peter Burke, FBI, I'm Neal's partner." Peter said, going over to the doctor, Doctor Freeman, he noticed, seeing the I.D. on the doctor's clothing. "How is he?"

Dr. Freeman gave Peter a look, and didn't answer right away, which made Peter worry. Surely a doctor would answer right away if someone was ok, right? "Mr. Caffrey's condition is critical." The doctor finally said, watching Peter pale. "He was shot in the stomach, and he has some extremly high concentrations of Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake venom that have made it through his bloodstream. Quite frankly, I am surprised the young man has made it this far. By all rights and purposes, he should have been dead after the first injection of the venom." Dr. Freeman paused, studying Peter quietly. "Was he moving around before he got here?"

"Yeah...he was." Peter's voice was quiet, and sounded small. Neal was in critical condition. He had a good chance of dying still. "D-did you get the poison out of him?"

"As much of it as we could. The rest is too far along...if he has any chance of surviving, he must fight that poison off himself." Dr. Freeman paused. "I don't think he's strong enough to fight it off though, I'm sorry."

Peter's brown eyes closed in horror. Neal had a good chance he might not make it. Hearing it from the doctor made it more realistic. Peter had to see his friend...just in case. "May I see him?"

"Room 104. Don't disturb him too much. Mr. Caffrey needs rest if he is to get rid of the poison. He might be unconscious, and if that is the case, do not, under any circumstances, wake him up."

Peter glared at him, feeling as if he were being treated like a child, while Elizabeth said her thanks. The trio headed down to Neal's room, feeling as if the doctor were shooting dagger like looks at them. Mozzie and Peter glanced behind them, and saw that the feeling was correct. The doctor looked furious...and half amused. _Wonder why... _He thought to himself, exchanging a look with Mozzie. He knew that Neal's friend had noticed it too. _Something to figure out later... _Peter decided, pushing the matter of the doctor to the back of his mind.

As Peter walked into Neal's room, alone, as they had decided to see Neal one at a time, the first thing he noticed was all the machines that were hooked up to the ex-con. It would have frightened Peter, had he not been frightened beforehand. He walked over to his friend and looked at Neal with wide brown eyes. The young man had a sheet of sweat on his face, and when Peter brushed the matted brown hair back from Neal's forehead, his partner's skin burned.

"Jesus, Neal...I'm so sorry..." Peter whispered, removing his hand from his friend's forehead. Much to his utter shock and amazement, Neal's eyes fluttered open, only to close half a second later, his face screwed tight with pain.

"Pe...ter?" The ex-con's voice was barely audible.

"I'm right here Neal."

"Peter..." Neal didn't finish the sentence, for he went totally limp, the only thing telling Peter that his friend was alive was the steady beeping of the monitors and the faint rise and fall of his partner's chest. Peter lightly patted his friend's hand, still finding it alarming that his friend's skin was so hot. He walked to the door for a second and stuck his head out, looking at Mozzie and Elizabeth.

"Maybe we should all be in here. Neal's woke up for a few seconds, but he's out again, so we'll all have to be quiet." Peter said quietly. To his relief, Mozzie and Elizabeth nodded their agreement and Peter walked over to Neal's side again, hearing his wife and Neal's friend enter the room and shut the door.

**Neal-**

As Neal lay on the floor in the place he had been held, he was in total agony. He knew Peter hadn't been shot. He had known that from the red stain that had appeared on his shirt, on his stomach. Dimly, he heard a dull _thwack_ of someone getting hit, and for a small second, he wondered if it was him. No, it wasn't. He felt a cool sensation brush his forehead, only to be taken away swiftly.

_"Diana? Where are those paramedics?"_ Peter's voice split the swirling darkness that surrounded him.

_"They aren't here yet, traffic held them up, they won't be here for another minute or so." _Came Diana's reply.

_"Damn! That's not quick enough!"_ Neal felt slightly surprised, hearing Peter curse, but he knew he shouldn't be surprised. His partner was just worried, that was all. He felt pressure on his stomach, sending a wave of pain crashing through him, and he couldn't contain the whimper that struggled for release. He opened his eyes slowly, finding the sudden light blinding, but he managed to focus on Peter's worried gaze.

"Peter...knew you'd find me..." Neal tried to speak loud, but his voice sounded weak to his own ears, and finally, Neal let the darkness take him. It was relief...and it was welcome.

No relief can last forever though.

In moments, or so it seemed, Neal was in intolerable pain, and was in a semi-conscious state. He could hear the paramedics, could hear Peter, could hear Jones and Diana, he could hear everything, but he couldn't do anything. Couldn't move. Not that he wanted to move.

Soon, the steady hum of an engine, along with an annoying beeping doubled with annoying sirens, surrounded Neal, and still the young man didn't move. Oh, he could hear Peter worrying, hear the paramedics talking, every few minutes they'd take his pulse and whatnot, and twice darkness and total pain free silence had taken him. And twice he had been taken from it. Both times he came back, he felt worse. Sicker. Weaker. Finally, Neal settled into a light sleep, filled with hurt and pain.

The next thing Neal Caffrey heard was the sound of Peter's voice. And a beeping noise.

"Jesus, Neal...I'm so sorry..." Peter sounded as if he were emotionally wounded. _Peter...not your fault! Not your fault! _Neal forced his eyes open, though he shut them swiftly. Bright light! Painful!

"Pe...ter?" His voice was rough and low. Neal felt what little strength he had left draining as he spoke.

"I'm right here Neal." Came the reply. Neal wished he could see his partner.

"Peter..." His strength faded and Neal slid into an unconscious state.

(A Few Hours Later...)

Neal opened his eyes to see bright sunlight streaming through open windows. He let out a small groan, closing his eyes for a few seconds before he opened his eyes slowly. No one in the room. Briefly, Neal wondered if he had imagined Peter visiting, but then he spotted his partner's coat laying on a chair and Neal smiled slightly. His blue gaze was drawn to the sound of a door opening, and he saw a doctor walk in and close the door behind him. A doctor with blond hair and brilliant blue eyes. He seemed...familiar, but no, there was no way Neal knew this guy! That would be ridiculous, and yet the more Neal stared at him, the more the feeling of recognition, and unease grew.

Then it hit him.

The blond haired man who had partaken in his kidnapping. Neal's eyes widened in shock and fear. How this guy had gotten in was beyond him, but now that he was here, Neal knew he was in some serious trouble.

Much to Neal's horror, Ryan, as that was who this man was, pulled out that oh so familiar syringe with the terrible yellow-green liquid in it. Neal heard his heart rate spike as Ryan darted to Neal's I.V. tube and shoved the needle inside the tube before he began to inject the evil liquid into the tube, just as Neal let out a terrible yell of terror, and ultimately, of pain.

Neal dimly heard an alarm sounding. Dimly heard people yelling. Didn't hear Jones and Diana arresting Ryan as Peter stared on in shock. Didn't see the worried faces of Mozzie and Elizabeth. Didn't hear the frantic shouts of the nurses. All he heard was a single question in his head.

_Is this how things are going to end?_

Then the ex-con lost consciousness and drifted into a swirling mist of grays and blacks.


	6. Worried

_**Chapter 6**_

(About a week later...)

**Neal-**

Neal Caffrey's dreams weren't like real dreams. They were like memories. Flash-backs of his life. A rough childhood, his parents not caring about their son and so he had had to learn methods to survive. Growing up, being picked on by other kids while his parents just stood there, their gazes blank. At 13, nearly killing another teenager when a gun went off in his hand. Running. Hiding. Running. Hiding. Going through the ranks of con artists to emerge as one of the best. Peter chasing him. Peter catching him. Prison. Kate leaving him. Breaking out of prison. Getting caught again by Peter. Striking the agreement of him being an FBI Consultant in Peter's custody. Solving cases with Peter and eventually beginning to trust the man who had thrown him in jail twice. A little while after that, telling that man that he was the only person that Neal trusted. That man stealing a surveillance tape so Neal wouldn't go back to jail. Realizing that Peter and Elizabeth were like family to him. Getting kidnapped. Pain. Getting saved. More pain. Darkness for a while.

Then, finally, Neal's senses began to return to him.

**Peter-**

Peter gazed blankly at the young man in front of him. He still couldn't believe it. The news had been shocking, though not really all that surprising, seeings as all Neal had gone through, but it didn't change the shock of the matter. Neal Caffrey, one of the greatest cons there had ever been, was in a coma. Peter flinched slightly at the thought.

_All my fault..._Peter was furious with himself. He knew he should have put up guards outside of Neal's room, the idea hadn't even occured to him...and because of that, his friend was in a coma. What made matters worse was the fact that the doctors didn't know if Neal would wake up from it or not. _My fault...my fault...all my fault... _Peter blamed himself entirely, wincing as he remembered what had happened before they had learned Neal was in a coma, when they had first arrived on the scene.

_He, Mozzie, Jones, Diana, and Elizabeth had been walking down the hall going towards Neal's room. They had just eaten breakfast, or at least, Mozzie, Elizabeth and he had. Jones and Diana had joined them on their return to Neal's room. Peter looked down the hall, listening to Diana report that they were still searching for Andrew Williams' two other accomplices, and saw a blond haired doctor enter Neal's room. A pang of uneasiness hit him, though he didn't realize why. A doctor was supposed to check up on their patients. So why was he so uneasy? It didn't make any sense._

_That was when Neal's pain-filled howl split the hospital quietness. Peter had darted forward, automatically drawing his gun as he rushed forward. He knew Diana and Jones had reacted the same as he had, and the Elizabeth and Mozzie were close behind them as they reached the closed door that led to Neal Caffrey. Peter opened the door, his brown eyes narrowed with worry._

_He saw the blond haired doctor standing next to Neal's I.V., saw him injecting the evil yellow-green liquid into it and let out a yell of fury, causing the doctor to spin around and the syringe that was in his hand, to drop to the floor. Almost totally empty. Diana and Jones flew forward, each grabbing the doctor's shoulder, and threw him to the ground as Peter holstered his gun and rushed to Neal's side. His partner's face was tight with pain and his blue eyes were dim and unfocused._

_"Neal?" Peter's voice was filled with fear for his friend. Neal didn't respond to the sound of Peter's voice, which sent an icy wave of fear coursing through Peter, especially when he noticed that Neal was shaking uncontrollably. "Neal!"_

_The next thing Peter knew was he was being shoved aside by a group of medical staff, all of them talking urgently. Elizabeth grabbed his arm and pulled him away so the medical staff would have room to work. Mozzie had moved out of the way already, and Diana, Jones and the blond haired man had already been gone._

_Much to Peter's horror, as he watched, he saw Neal's eyes roll up into the back of his head and his partner go totally limp and the ex-con's head fall to the side, his dark brown hair looking black compared to the pale white color of his skin. Finally, a nurse snapped at them to get out of the room, which they did so quickly._

Peter winced, remembering the shock of hearing that his friend was in a coma.

_Doctor Paul Gray, a doctor who had seen Neal before this, came towards a pacing Peter Burke. Mozzie and Elizabeth watched the FBI Agent pace, afraid to move in case he snapped._

_"Mr. Burke." Dr. Gray said, causing Peter's brown gaze flash over to the doctor._

_"How is Neal?" He demanded, not bothering with a greeting. Doctor Gray looked at Peter with a sad gaze._

_"Mr. Caffrey had a seizure just moments after having that recent injection of poison, and now your partner is in a coma. His chances for survival went from a semi-good chance to a very slim chance." He replied finally, causing Peter to freeze, his eyes widening in horror. __**No!**__ He had thought in dismay. __**No! No! NO!**_

_"C-can I see him?" His voice was a hushed whisper. Dr. Gray nodded and pointed them in the right direction._

_"Don't disturb him. If he comes out of this, he'll have to do it without being rushed." Paul Gray warned. Peter nodded numbly as he started forward towards the direction the doctor had pointed. He had to see Neal, and he had to see him right that instant._

_When they had reached Neal's room, Peter hesitated, stopping outside his partner's room. He turned to Mozzie, his brown eyes wide. "Mozzie, I'm sorry. This is all my fault, and I am sorry." He said, his voice low. He was not good at expressing his feelings. Not good at all._

_Neal's friend just returned his gaze before he replied. "I do not blame you, Suit. It is not your fault."_

_**Oh, but it is.**__ Peter thought, shaking his head slightly. No matter what anyone said, Peter would blame himself for this. Peter sighed slightly, and walked into Neal's room. He flinched slightly as he saw a ventilator hooked up to Neal, making it so that the young man could breath. He saw other machines in the room, but he didn't know what they were. __**So sorry Neal...so sorry...**__ He thought sadly, gazing at his friend as Elizabeth and Mozzie watched. He heard Mozzie say something to Elizabeth, but he didn't really pay attention to what it was. All he knew was that when he finally turned around, Neal's friend was gone._

_Elizabeth gave him a small smile, though her eyes showed concern, and together, they both pulled up a chair each and sat down, staring at Neal Caffrey, someone who they considered family, no matter how much Peter liked to deny it._

Peter snapped out his memories when he he saw Neal's hand twitch faintly.

"Neal?" He asked, afraid to be hopeful. Neal's finger twitched. "Neal?" He repeated, standing slightly. He watched, his eyes wide with awe as Neal's hand twitched again, and as Peter watched, his partner's eyes fluttered open, though they closed really quick. Peter poked his head out of the door to Neal's room and flagged down a nurse who was passing by.

"He's waking up." Peter said to her quietly. He watched her smile and nod.

"I'll let Dr. Gray know." Came the reply and Peter nodded before he walked over to his friend's side.

"Neal." Peter said, his brown eyes getting some of their usual emotion back to them instead of the blank, glassy stare he had had the whole time Neal was in the coma. "Are you feeling better. Um...blink once for yes and twice for no." Peter said, remembering that Neal wouldn't be able to speak right away. In fact, Peter was kind of pushing it with the blinking thing, but it was worth a try. Neal looked blankly at Peter for a long moment before he blinked once.

Peter couldn't help but smile. Neal was responding to Peter after a week of waiting! That meant he had emerged from his coma. Then Dr. Gray walked in, smiling as he saw Neal's eyes open. He checked his vitals quickly and flashed a grin at the ex-con.

"Doing good Mr. Caffrey. You are very lucky." Dr. Gray turned to Peter. "Mr. Caffrey's vitals are doing good. He'll be weak for a while, and don't be surprised if this is the only time he wakes up today. That is to be expected. He'll get stronger as he goes along." Peter nodded at the doctor's words.

"Thank you." Peter said. The doctor smiled slightly in understanding before he walked out. Peter's phone went off and he flipped it open to see a text message from Diana.

_**Might know where the other accomplice is. Hughes wants the three of us to go after him.**_

Peter sighed and turned to his friend in time to see blue eyes shutting and Neal's head tilt to the side as the young man fell asleep. Peter smiled to himself before he texted back.

_**Alright. I'll be there. Neal's out of his coma. Woke up for a few minutes, he's asleep again though. Doctor said he should be ok though.**_

Within seconds, he got her response.

_**:)**_

Peter chuckled before he sent a text to Elizabeth, who had called earlier to say that Mozzie was there to say hello, and that he would be there for a little while.

_**Neal's awake. Woke up for a few minutes, went back to sleep. Doctor says he should be ok.**_

Peter looked up at the ex-con, smiling. He was so relieved that Neal was on the mend, and still smiling, Peter walked out.

Time to go catch another bad guy.


	7. Struggles

_**Chapter 7**_

**Peter-**

Peter Burke glared at the slowly crumbling ruins of the abandoned building._ This _was the place that they thought that the only remaining accomplice of Andrew Williams was. Peter had left two guards outside Neal's room, but he couldn't help but worry about the ex-con. As Peter glared at the desolate looking place, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. They were about to catch the last man who held a current threat to Neal.

Something he was definitely happy about.

Peter heard the crunch gravel behind him and he turned around to see Jones standing there. The young man looked serious, and so did Diana, who was coming up from a talk with one of the police officers from NYPD that had come along.

"Ready for this?" Peter asked, drawing his gun. Jones and Diana both nodded an affirmative, mirroring his movements. Peter glanced at the NYPD officers, who were watching him intently. "Let's go." Peter said, his brown eyes hard as he turned around and led the way into the building, Jones and Diana hard on his tail.

Peter coughed a couple of times, peering through the layer of dust and dirt that had risen when he had kicked a door in. He saw no immediate danger, just a table in the center of the room, with a note laying on top. Peter frowned, walking forward and picked up the note, his brown eyes shining with suspicion. Something wasn't right, and Peter found out what the second the note was in his hand. A loud beeping sound began to Peter's right, causing the FBI Agent to turn, and his eyes widen in surprise.

_0:29_

_0:28_

_0:27_

There was a bomb. Peter whirled around, racing towards the door entrance.

"JONES! DIANA! RUN!" He yelled, moving as fast as he could go. Both agents turned and obeyed Peter's orders, running as if their lives depended on it, because, well, they did. Peter turned the corner, seeing Diana and Jones rushing through the entrance to the building, a few NYPD police just in front of them. There was a loud _BOOM_ as Peter ran for the entrance, and much to the FBI Agent's terror, the building started to collapse. His brown eyes flashed with determination as he ran faster than he had ever run in his life, or so it felt, as the wall behind him exploded.

Glancing upwards, Peter saw several cracks splitting the ceiling above him, and pieces of the ceiling began to rain down around him.

Peter set a foot passed the entrance of the building and dove to the ground as the building collapsed. Jones and Diana were next to his instantly.

"Boss? You ok?" Diana asked, worry evident in her voice. Jones looked just as worried, though he didn't say anything. Peter nodded, drawing in deep gulps of air, breathing hard as he uncurled his fist to reveal the note. He took one look at it and a numbing anger filled him.

_Ha ha. If you are still alive after that bang, then I hope you are enjoying yourself Burke._

He read the next line and was filled with an icy wave of terror.

_Let's see if you can get to your pet con in time to save him._

"We have to get to Neal!" He said, standing up, covered in a layer of gray-white dirt from the collapsed building. Diana and Jones looked at him for a split second, both nodding their agreement. Peter was seriously praying that the guards could hold their own until they arrived.

(A Long and Tense Car Ride Later...)

Peter raced into the hospital, rushing to Neal's room. Once the young man had woken up, he had been assigned a new room because of a serious medical case. Peter burst into his partner's room and froze, barely realizing that the two guards outside were unconcious until he came upon the sight before his eyes..

The room was empty.

Peter cursed softly and spun around, finding himself face-to-face with Jones and Diana.

"Each of you start searching. The guy couldn't have gotten far." He ordered, before he started down the hallway.

_Where are you Neal?_

**Neal-**

Neal shifted in his sleep, his dreams a blur of color. No pictures. Just colors. Not that Neal really minded the colors, but he found that watching them was starting to make him a little sick. He wanted to see something other than colors. Neal shifted again as the colors went to darkness.

Slowly, the young man's eyes fluttered open, but closed swiftly. Bright lights. Again, Neal's eyes opened, but he managed to keep them open this time. His blue gaze flickered around slowly as the blurry shapes that filled his gaze slowly became clearer.

_Wonder where Peter is... _Neal thought to himself, trying to move his right hand, and much to his delight, he could. Neal tried to lift his arm up all the way, just to see if he could, and winced as slight pain shot through him at the halfway point. _Not yet..._

The sounds of scuffling in the hall, and then two _thud_ding sounds caused Neal's gaze to flash towards the door in time to see a dark haired man walk in, his eyes cold as he gazed at Neal.

"You look far too comfortable Caffrey." The man growled as Neal stared at him, not really comprehending what it was that the man was getting at until the guy lunged forward, one of his fists catching Neal on the jaw. Neal let out a small groan, wishing he could move to defend himself, and knowing that he couldn't. The next thing the ex-con knew, he was being flipped off the bed, letting out a muffled cry of pain as his I.V. was ripped out of his arm and he hit the ground, his head striking the ground a little hard. "Shut up Caffrey." He barely heard the man snarl, and then he was being dragged out of the room.

(15 Minutes Later...)

Neal was looking blankly at the barrel of the 9mm handgun that was being pointed at him when he heard the sound of hurrying footsteps. A few seconds past, and Neal shifted faintly from the position he was sitting in, leaning against the wall with Jared glaring at him, when he heard Peter's voice.

_"Each of you start searching. The guy couldn't have gotten far."_ Peter's voice was like a badly tuned radio, fading in and out. Neal opened his mouth, wanting to call Peter's name. To have his friend come, but he couldn't. He was having trouble staying awake at that moment, let alone say anything. Besides, with the glare he was getting from Jared, and the gun pointed at him, Neal figured it wouldn't be smart to say anything.

As Peter's footsteps grew closer, Neal's eyes began to drift close, only to snap open when he heard a voice speak.

"Another step closer and your pet con dies." Jared's voice was a snarl, and Neal could barely make out the blurry shape of Peter Burke standing a few feet away.

"Pe..." Neal whispered, unable to finish his partner's name.

"Yeah Neal, it's me." Peter replied, and although Neal couldn't really see him, he knew his partner well enough to hear the worry in Peter's voice. Then Neal heard another voice, coming from the opposite direction.

"Drop your weapon."

It was Jones.

Neal could tell that Jared's body had stiffened, and he heard yet another voice.

"I'd do as he says."

Diana.

Neal felt a dim flash of relief. One way or another, Jared was going down, and the man seemed to realize that himself, for a few minutes later, he had given up and Diana and Jones were leading him out of the hospital in handcuffs. Peter stood by Neal.

"Pe...t...er..." Neal sighed, his head drifting to the side as he passed out. Peter smiled slightly, lightly patting the young man's shoulder.

"It's all over Neal. Now you can actually recover..."

(Two and a half weeks later...)

Neal rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Oh come on Peter! I'm tired of being stuck in the hospital! I want to go do something."

"Not a chance Neal. You can be out of the hospital when the doctors say so."

Neal groaned. He had been trying to convince his partner to get him out of the hosptial a few days early. He was tired of being in the hosptial, seeing plain walls and not eating any real food. He missed the office and being able to go out and catch the bad guys. He missed June's Italian Roast coffee an being able to sleep in his own bed.

He missed a lot of things.

Neal's pleading gaze flickered over to Mozzie, who looked very happy to be able to actually cary out a conversatuon with Neal without the ex-con passing out halfway through.

"What about you? Will you get me out of here?"

"Neal, I have to agree with the Suit on this one. You aren't leaving until these doctors say so." Came the reply.

"But it's so boring!"

"Cowboy up." Peter replied, smiling faintly.


End file.
